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nefariousbee's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
second time I read this. not quite 5 stars this time, but only because I got less swept up and paid more attention to where I wished the author would do a thing differently.
I still absolutely adore her writing tho. her character work is beautiful, they just come alive under her fingers, they change and grow, and the yearning is like no other.
again I feel like I have to point out, it is light on the plot. I prefer this. I don't care about plot. I want to spend time with the characters, and the author seems to agree that plot should only be there to move the characters. not everyone likes that tho, and if you're big on plot, I would encourage you to pick a different book. for us romance & character depth enthusiast bitches, it's just right.
also as someone who's had crippling anxiety for longer than they could remember. the best portrayal I saw.
also çe/çem pronouns rule
I still absolutely adore her writing tho. her character work is beautiful, they just come alive under her fingers, they change and grow, and the yearning is like no other.
again I feel like I have to point out, it is light on the plot. I prefer this. I don't care about plot. I want to spend time with the characters, and the author seems to agree that plot should only be there to move the characters. not everyone likes that tho, and if you're big on plot, I would encourage you to pick a different book. for us romance & character depth enthusiast bitches, it's just right.
also as someone who's had crippling anxiety for longer than they could remember. the best portrayal I saw.
also çe/çem pronouns rule
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
leighrobinson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
ixris's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I. Can't. Stop. Thinking. Of. This. Book!!!
A counterfeiting ring, hurt/comfort until the cows come home, a richly built fantasy world, a tetchy ex lover, a courtly romance, third gender and neopronouns, a dedicated warrior monk class taking up most of the character roster, queers everywhere ... I love so many things about this book!
Will be reading again. Clear fandom roots but not overwhelmingly or aggressively so. Freaking read this book.
A counterfeiting ring, hurt/comfort until the cows come home, a richly built fantasy world, a tetchy ex lover, a courtly romance, third gender and neopronouns, a dedicated warrior monk class taking up most of the character roster, queers everywhere ... I love so many things about this book!
Will be reading again. Clear fandom roots but not overwhelmingly or aggressively so. Freaking read this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Light spice, slow burn, enemies to lovers, did I mention queer secondary world renaissance-ish fantasy????grace_b_3's review against another edition
The writing style just wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death
katievallin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Grief and Pregnancy
gooseberry420's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content
kurumipanda's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
cheye13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was an excellent read in that it delivered exactly as I expected it to, with a little extra flavor thrown in. The world-building and background character development was impressively thorough, given the main crux (romance) of the story. I particularly loved how this specific story managed the "why don't they simply get together" hurdle by essentially making the characters simply too busy – felt oddly true to life despite the kidnapping/assassination attempts. This story also expertly lays the ground for a romance series, subtly and perfectly setting up the next main character.
While I found no faults in this book for my own reading tastes, I can see where it may fall short for others. This is not a surprising book in the slightest – though the political/criminal investigation is paced to persist through the full novel, it is set up pretty straightforwardly from the start. The romance progression is also fully predictable, and while it didn't deliver any gut-punch style emotion, I thoroughly enjoyed being swept through the journey. Finally, while the slow burn tension is off the charts, some may find the release/resolution of that tension unequal to the anticipation (i.e. it's pretty low on the spice).
But I don't look for any of these elements in my fantasy romance. I enjoy predictability and the satisfaction of the characters finally catching up to my detached perspective; I was awash in the natural flow and growth of the leads' relationship; and I love me a closed-door or mild heat level. In fact, given the building tension throughout the book, I would've felt like there was no closure if there weren't at least a vague on-page Scene™, so this book skipped past that pitfall as well. A complete joy to read. Hope there's more to this series in the future!
While I found no faults in this book for my own reading tastes, I can see where it may fall short for others. This is not a surprising book in the slightest – though the political/criminal investigation is paced to persist through the full novel, it is set up pretty straightforwardly from the start. The romance progression is also fully predictable, and while it didn't deliver any gut-punch style emotion, I thoroughly enjoyed being swept through the journey. Finally, while the slow burn tension is off the charts, some may find the release/resolution of that tension unequal to the anticipation (i.e. it's pretty low on the spice).
But I don't look for any of these elements in my fantasy romance. I enjoy predictability and the satisfaction of the characters finally catching up to my detached perspective; I was awash in the natural flow and growth of the leads' relationship; and I love me a closed-door or mild heat level. In fact, given the building tension throughout the book, I would've felt like there was no closure if there weren't at least a vague on-page Scene™, so this book skipped past that pitfall as well. A complete joy to read. Hope there's more to this series in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Torture and Alcohol
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'll admit I struggled a bit to get into this book for the first 100 pages or so, but once I was in, I was IN. The main couple had me kicking my feet rooting for them. I loved all the characters in this book and thought they were wonderfully developed. They could have made Tadek a villain or dreadfully boring, as the romance genre tends to do with exes, but they made him so fun while still giving him depth and complexity. I like his friendship with Kadou, and I can't wait to read his book! I want to be Commander Eozena when I grow up, and Zeliha was an awesome badass ruler.
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism
miraileah's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5.0. I loved this book, both the physical and audiobook reading experiences were immaculate. The characterization of both main and side characters was excellent, the world building was great, and the plot was interesting and well paced alongside the romantic development. I also loved the depiction of chronic anxiety in the book, it made me feel very understood, and made me desperately want to give Kadou an SSRI.
The characters, both our main romantic duo and side characters, were well fleshed out and came to life on the page. I started the book strongly disliking a character who I really enjoyed by the end of the book. Loved the magic system of touch tasting, what a unique and interesting idea! Also, the nods to the Ottoman inspired world was awesome to read. Finally a fantasy set in something other than Fantasy England! And finally, the mystery plot was a ton of fun. I thought the book was a good length to settle the mystery, feel the stakes get higher and higher, and of course see our main characters come to terms with their feelings.
I think that a comparison to Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell is really fair (though both have very unique worlds and different themes). They both have forced proximity love m/m love stories with one character being a prince, queer normative worlds, and fun mystery plotlines. The moral of the story is that this is exactly what romantasy should be like, and Alexandra Rowland is a new auto-buy author for me.
The characters, both our main romantic duo and side characters, were well fleshed out and came to life on the page. I started the book strongly disliking a character who I really enjoyed by the end of the book. Loved the magic system of touch tasting, what a unique and interesting idea! Also, the nods to the Ottoman inspired world was awesome to read. Finally a fantasy set in something other than Fantasy England! And finally, the mystery plot was a ton of fun. I thought the book was a good length to settle the mystery, feel the stakes get higher and higher, and of course see our main characters come to terms with their feelings.
I think that a comparison to Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell is really fair (though both have very unique worlds and different themes). They both have forced proximity love m/m love stories with one character being a prince, queer normative worlds, and fun mystery plotlines. The moral of the story is that this is exactly what romantasy should be like, and Alexandra Rowland is a new auto-buy author for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Pregnancy